


That near you (I always must be)

by digthewriter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: hp_goldenage, Dancing, Fluff, Happy Ending, Love, M/M, Mild Angst, Minor Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Old Age, Retirement, ridiculous fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-06 03:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17931962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digthewriter/pseuds/digthewriter
Summary: Charlie is ready for a new adventure.





	That near you (I always must be)

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a line from the song "I will follow you." All my thanks to my amazing beta, R, who made this so much better than what it originally was.

Charlie walked nervously into the well-lit room, hand-in-hand with his husband. He wasn't entirely sure about this. It was very different to anything he'd done before. 

"I have two left feet," he said to Neville, who shook his head. 

"You've chased after dragons all around the world. Honestly…" Neville chuckled before he waved at someone across the room. When Charlie turned to look, he found Luna approaching them. 

"It's so good to see you here tonight, Charlie!" she squealed, balancing herself on her toes so she could reach up to kiss his cheek. 

He wasn't as tall as he used to be – at seventy-five, he'd started to shrink a little – but he was still taller than his husband and all their friends. 

"I don't know…" Charlie said sceptically. His heart was racing, worried it was going to run out of speed. "Neville thought…" 

"Neville tells me you’re quite good on your feet, actually," she beamed and Charlie wondered if she'd heard his conversation with Neville before approaching them. 

"You'll be fine," Neville said, squeezing his hand gently. 

After all this time, Neville still had a way of reassuring him, of making him think everything was going to be okay. He remembered how forty years ago, that was _his_ job. And now, their roles had reversed. 

It was time to leave the dragons behind. He'd trailed after them for nearly sixty years, and enjoyed every minute of his time with them. About fifteen years ago, he'd started teaching others to do the same. 

He had never thought he'd ever give them up, and in a way, he hadn't really. He could still go back. Say hello to his old friends, and make new ones. But when Neville had announced he was taking a break from teaching to pick up new hobbies and travel; Charlie knew he needed to follow his husband. Perhaps Neville wasn't the first love of his life, but over time, he had become the more important of the two. 

Neville always knew and respected Charlie's passion, and he would have never asked Charlie to quit for him, but Neville wouldn't have waited around for him, either. They'd spent nearly a lifetime watching others around them live their lives while they only pursued their occupational passions— and Charlie knew it was _his_ fault. 

He’d been too stubborn to give up his ways: dragons had been his only true passion. So when Neville had come along, he'd had to take the back seat. Eventually, Charlie had expected Neville to leave, but instead, Neville had developed an interest in Charlie's vocation. In his spare time, he would come by the sanctuary to learn about the dragons and teach Charlie about the botanicals and herbs good for them. 

Neville had done all of that for him. He hadn't left him. He hadn't got frustrated and walked away. He'd learned to share Charlie without asking for anything in return. 

"All right, is everyone ready?" Luna announced to the room. The lights dimmed a little. Charlie was thankful for it. 

"I hope all these old folks placed a vision charm to be able to see in the dark," Neville teased as he turned to face Charlie and closed the distance between them. 

"I'm sure there's nothing wrong with their hearing, though,” Charlie murmured. “They all seem to be glaring at you right now." 

Neville smirked. "They’re just wondering who the fresh meat is." 

Charlie shook his head. "Right, I forgot how much you love to come here." 

"Please, I know you don't forget anything, old man." Neville placed his hand on Charlie's shoulder. 

"Old man?" Charlie scoffed, wrapping his arm around Neville’s waist . "You _like_ older men—"

At that moment the music started, and so did the instructions. "All right, find a partner if you haven't already done so… Then we'll get started. If you’re leading, please position yourself in a way so you're facing the clock. Those following, you'll start with your left foot back." 

Charlie’s stomach twisted with nerves. "I still can't believe you think ballroom dancing is a good way to spend some time together," he whispered. 

Neville shrugged. "Hey, I’ve always wanted to try it and Draco said he and Harry had a lot of fun when they came here for lessons before Lily's wedding." 

"Yes, but we don't have any children," Charlie said, and he didn't miss the flash of disappointment on Neville's face. They didn't have any children together, but they did have a plethora of nieces and nephews. Neville was close to all of them, certainly closer than Charlie. 

"There's no talking during lessons!" a stern-faced woman on Charlie's left hissed at them, and Charlie resisted rolling his eyes. 

"I bet you she's the top student," he whispered. Neville looked as though he was struggling trying to control his laugh. 

"You're going to get us kicked out," Neville said and before Charlie could retort, he added, "I'm going to stay and pretend I don't know you if we do get in trouble." 

"You'll abandon me? Just like that?" Charlie asked, mocking offence. 

" _I_ came here to learn, Mr Weasley. You are the one who followed me in." Neville teased, nudging Charlie’s thigh with his own as they finally turned so Charlie could be in the spot designated for him to lead. 

"Ah, now I see why this came with a glorifying recommendation from Draco Malfoy," Charlie said. "We never had trouble dancing before." 

The music became louder and so did the instructors' voices. They walked around the room guiding the couples. Charlie was sure it was to make sure that if a _student_ 's hip gave out, they'd be there to catch him or her. His own joints tended to tense up if sat in one position for too long. 

Even though he was still nervous, praying his own knees wouldn't buckle, he was glad to see that there were plenty of other men and women who also seemed to be struggling. Though he wasn't stepping on Neville's feet or tripping up, his palms still became sweaty and he was so anxious he kept missing the instructions to turn. 

"Relax…" Neville said in a soothing tone when there was a momentary pause in the music. "I've got you."

"I know," replied Charlie and he did relax. He might be in a totally unfamiliar territory—surrounded by people and not magical creatures—but he was glad Neville was there. If he fell here, Neville would catch him. 

The lesson continued and at times Charlie and Neville had to switch partners, but Charlie was happy to see Neville enjoying himself more than anything else.

***

When they returned home after the class, Neville seemed quiet. Charlie had a feeling as to why. Neville never asked Charlie to do anything for him: they always did whatever Charlie wanted.

"Are you regretting it?" Neville asked him as they settled into bed. 

"What? Going _Cha Cha Cha_ and making a complete fool of myself?" Charlie laughed. 

"No. Leaving the dragons. For me." Neville shuffled closer to him and rested his head in the crook of Charlie's neck. No matter how their bodies tangled and untangled themselves by the morning, this was Neville's favourite position to fall asleep in. 

In their forty years together, Neville had always made Charlie feel like he was air. 

"Whatever I do for you is something I'll never regret. You're worth it. I've told you a million times, love." 

They'd also talked about this extensively. Neville had always been so understanding of how the pressure of having such a big family affected Charlie—the well-meaning but sometimes smothering demands the Weasleys put upon him—and in response he'd always tried so hard to give Charlie the breathing space he craved.

Charlie knew Neville must surely have questioned his decision to commit to a lifetime of taking the back seat, but he'd never let it show. He'd been endlessly considerate, only ever seeking to meet Charlie's needs.

Charlie smiled at his husband. It was time to put Neville first.

"You've waited forty years for me while I chased after dragons. Maybe it's time I chase after you around the world. Don't you think?"

* * *

THE END


End file.
